Simple in the Moonlight
by Elizab3thBlack
Summary: Remus awakes after a transformation to find that Tonks has been bitten, wherein he goes to her in St. Mungo's and then confronts the man that bit her.
1. Chapter 1

**Simple in the Moonlight**

**Part 1**

As the clouds rolled back and the sun started to peak through the new born morning Remus tried to move. His bones groaned at him and his muscles screamed under the weight he tried to put on them, so he laid back down and looked up at the rotting ceiling.

He heard a clock somewhere in the old house ticking, it surprised him anything still worked here and he smiled at the thought. He'd been here so many times over so many years, things falling apart all around him, and yet things were still working, still spilling out in time with time. He was happy, as happy as he could be; the woman he loved, loved him in return. It did not matter to her what he was, and though it took strength for him to keep her whole he did it and continued to do it with her help and her love.

In fact he heard her coming up the stairs now; he smiled again and called out. "Dora, here!" His voice cracked with tiredness but it didn't matter she was coming. He closed his eyes and waited for her gentle eyes and gentle touch.

"Ahem" There was a worried cough, a man's cough. His eyes flew open to find an older man with balding red hair and glasses.

"Arthur?" The other man's eyes were filled with worry and fear, this in itself scared him more then he could imagine; even in his worn out state he sat up, letting the blankets fall away from him, not caring he was naked. "Arthur, what happened?" He knew something had happened and he clenched the dirty sheets in anticipation.

"She's at St. Mungo's. We'd better hurry." As those words came out of his mouth Remus' world began to spin. She was in St. Mungo's, she was hurt, something had happened and he hadn't been there to protect her, he—he could have been the one to hurt her.

"Arthur…what i exactly /i has happened?" His voice was near the edge of screaming, the agony and anticipation of what had happened was driving him slowly insane.

Arthur shut his eyes and looked away from Remus, a hand flew up to his face and he sighed. "She was bit Remus, she's alive but…"

No more was needed to be said, he was standing up straight as a rod, the chilled air caressed his body in a faux interpretation of a lover. His eyes were wild and face tight with horror. Arthur reached out to him noticing the younger man's expression. "Remus…"

He just pushed him away and looked around the room as if trying to find a way to escape. Arthur again grabbed for him stopping only when Remus growled.

He wasn't quite sure where he was, he knew physically, but mentally his mind was somewhere else, some i time /i else. He was trying to remember if he could remember. If at any point last night he remembered her showing up, even though she knew she wasn't supposed to since they no longer had access to the Wolfsbane potion.

His mind wandered over and over the blank spot that was the night before, he couldn't remember anything, nothing, he hardly even remembered the beginning of the transformation. As his mind couldn't recall the last night's events he began to lose grip on reality.

For so long he'd told her, for so long he'd protected her from his world, and here he'd drug her down with him anyway. He was spiraling down into his own darkness when a shout brought him back to the surface.

"Lupin!" Arthur finally yelled as the other man looked as if he may kill himself or someone else. He grabbed his shoulders and shook him. "Remus, listen to me…"

Remus, though held in place, his eyes showed that he was not focused on Arthur. "Listen! You didn't do it!" A spark, Arthur began to calm his own nerves seeing the spark. "You didn't bite her."

A flicker of hope crossed his face; eyes finally focus on the redhead in front of him. "What did you say?" His voice was cracking with wonder.

"You didn't do it. It was another, Kingsley and some other aurors are out tracking the man right now. She was out on duty last night, tailing a Death Eater, when she was attacked. Luckily when it happened it had been close to when she was supposed to check in, when she didn't Kingsley sent out troops, he knew she wouldn't come in late, not with you…" Arthur stopped and looked down. Remus stared at his friend a bated breath. "You didn't do it." He finally whispered.

Choking, Remus let out a sob and collapsed on to Arthur. Gingerly he patted the man's back not fully understand but at the same time knowing.


	2. Chapter 2

**Simple in the Moonlight**

**Part 2**

His eyes were filled with tears as he watched her across the room. Arthur had told him she'd been bitten in the side, but the blankets covered her fragile body. He was afraid to make a move; this way she looked beautiful, still pure and innocent. He was afraid of what he'd see in her eyes when she awoke. So he hid in the shadows of her room watching her sleep, the waning moonlight sparkling down on her form.

For all his protecting, all his sheltering; now it no longer mattered, here she was…just like him, broken like him. A part of him said that he should be glad, finally knowing that he could claim her as his own. However, the thought was wiped away by the reality of it all, the pain and suffering she would soon discover. The prejudice and hate that came along with her curse.

The thought of it brought such anguish; he had to chock back a sob. The slight noise caused her to stir awake.

As she moaned her new senses kicked in and she knew he was there. "Remus…" she muttered turning her head to right where he was standing.

He didn't move, but held back the need to run to her and wrap her in safety, keep her from all the things she would discover, but he didn't know if he could handle it.

"Remus…" she croaked out again, "Remus" she cried when he still wasn't there, the fear in her heart broke him and before he could stop himself he was by her side grasping her hand.

"I'm here, I'm here…" he whispered to her, kneeling, kissing her pale shaky hand.

She was crying, grabbing his hair with her free hand wanting to roll over and touch him but it hurt to move even the little she had, so she sat there weeping, grabbing at him the best she could.

He gently stroked her brown locks, staring into her changed eyes, holding his own tears, trying to be strong for her.

As he began to stand up to readjust his position her eyes clouded with fear and she tugged hard on his hair, jolting him with pain, but he ignored it looked at her confused.

"Don't leave me!" As those words came tumbling anxiously from her chapped lips, his own eyes filled with surprise and tears.

She thought he'd leave? The idea shook him to the core and he leaned down to her prostate form covering her face with kisses and he grabbed her shoulders gently trying to get across his love for her, even now.

As he did her own scared sobs began to calm and her clenched fist began to release, running down his arm. "Oh God, Remus, Oh God…" She kept muttering as he showered her face with kisses. Softly, careful to not hit her side, he wrapped his arms around her, gently shushing her as he rocked back and forth.

"I was so scared, so scared…I—I…"

He buried his face in her shoulder trying to hold his own tears from spilling out in front of her. He didn't want to hear about the mad animal that must have attacked her, the mad animal he, himself, had been that same night, the same that she would turn into in one month's time.

"I kept thinking of you, how you'd be so angry…when everything went black all I could think was you'd never stay now. Even after all we'd gone through, why would you want me?"

He pushed her back at those words and stared at her. His intense eyes made her shudder and look away. "How could you ever think that Dora!" He was, on one hand angry at that idea, but the other, he understood. He knew what it was like to lose those who loved you just because of what you were, what you couldn't control.

She let out another sob and clung to his shirt, though still didn't look back at him. "I've been bit Remus, I'm tainted, I was your purity, your innocence, now…now I'm not…why would you want me?"

The words stung, he had been thinking exactly about that just before she'd awoke, after all; but she was his everything, and it took her saying those words that made him realize it. "Dora, you still are, you're my i life /i , I love you, and a bite isn't going to change that, it isn't going to change you…" His voice trailed off. His own words, they had been hers years ago. The irony was flying around his head and he couldn't help laugh aloud. The thought was not lost on her and she smiled slightly at him.

He trailed a thumb across her cheek staring into her now ice blue eyes and smiled. She smiled back up at him and began to lean into kiss him when she jerked away. Hands clutched at her side and a whimper shot from her lips.

He immediately brushed her hair back and looked worryingly at her. "Dora…"

"It…it hurts!" She moaned and curled into the fetal position. His eyes traveled to where she was clutching herself and his eyes burned. It was the bite, it was healing itself. Some other had hurt her like this, hurt her in all the ways he had been protecting her from.

Nurses ran in along with Arthur and Kingsley. The nurses were at Tonks side helping her, guiding her through her first regenerative healing process, while Arthur and Kingsley stood next to him, looking at her worriedly.

"Is she alright?" Arthur asked, wringing his hands.

"She will be…" Remus replied lowly. The three stood there for a long moment as Tonks slowly fell back asleep, the healing over, and her eyes smiled at Remus before she was out. He turned to Kingsley. "Did you find him?"

For a moment the large auror stared at him then slowly nodded. "We've got them in custody down the hall. He was pretty banged up as well…" Remus nodded, his eyes cold. The two other men looked at him concerned.

"Remus…are you alright?" Arthur asked reaching to touch his shoulder. Remus brushed it off and nodded.

"I'm fine…I'm going to go get some air." And he walked out of the room leaving the two to stare after him.


	3. Chapter 3

**Simple in the Moonlight**

**Part 3**

He walked quickly down the hall glancing at the different wards on each door; they told him exactly where he needed to go. Four doors down there it was, marked quite clearly with the werewolf wards, the same ones that now covered Tonks' door.

With a low growl he pressed open the door and stepped into the dark room. His eyes took in the space, landing on a crumpled form on the bed. Slowly he walked over to it, horrible things he would do to this man, running through his head.

As he stood next to the crisp white sheets, he looked down at the figure and gasped. Fully expecting a ragged older man, someone looking like Greyback, it was a revolting shock to find a young man's face lying there.

He couldn't be older than fourteen. It was an innocent face with old eyes. As he looked into the young man's face he saw himself so many years ago. The boy was staring out his window blankly; his hands were twitching every so often. As Remus shifted his weight the young man's head slowly turned to him looking up at him with those same ice blue eyes, empty of emotion.

"You're her mate." His voice was tired and just as empty as his eyes. Remus felt a tug on his heart as he opened his mouth to answer. "I remember her smell. I could smell you."

He stared at the boy, on one hand he was still angry; this boy turned her, caused her to go through the pain he'd sheltered her from; on the other hand he was a boy, he'd been unconscious of what was going on, controlled by something not of himself.

"Are you here to kill me?"

Remus stepped back staring at the child in surprise.

"Its alright, I have a little sister, if one of us bit her I'd want to kill them too. And I'm ready…" The last words came out in a whisper as he closed his eyes and raised his head; opening his throat to Remus.

Remus stared at the child's neck, the pale yellow-white skin inviting him. The boy was shaking slightly; his hands were clenched in the cotton sheets, though his posture was strong. With a tender hand he rested it on the small clenched fist.

"I'm not going to kill you." Remus whispered to the boy staring at the child in amazement. The boy looked up at him with confusion, his ice blue eyes wet in the moonlight. "I won't lie and say I hadn't entertained the thought…but you're just as innocent a victim as she is…"

The two stared at one another for a long while before the boy turned his head again. All was quiet for a long while and Remus realized his hand was on the boy's, he pulled away and sighed. "What's your name?" He asked quietly.

The boy continued to look out the window but in his drained voice he whispered, "Lyall."

"Lyall…" Remus whispered as the young man continued to look out the window. "Lyall," he said louder and the young man turned to him, his eyes a bit wide. "Where did you get that scratch?" Remus pointed to the side of his face where some of the dirty blonde hair had fallen aside.

Lyall's hand slowly reached up to the fading jagged mark on his jaw. His long fingers lightly drawing down the scar, his eyes were dull as he concentrated on it. He almost caressed it for a few moments before he looked Remus directly in the eyes. "I did it."

Remus could see the surprise in the boy's eyes, and having been the cause of most of his own scars he gave him a sad comforting smile. "It's alright, we all do it…"

"No, I did it tonight."

Remus didn't quite understand, and the confusion must have been on his face, because Lyall turned towards Remus, his hands shaking furiously. "I was punishing myself for what I did. I i _punished_ /i myself." Lyall grabbed Remus' hand looking scared and confused.

Remus looked amazed. "You what?"

"Punishment, it was punishment." A hardened sob held back in his throat, but his grip on Remus got tighter.

As the boy buried his face against his pillow Remus watched his form shake, trying to keep in the tears. It was then he finally understood.

This poor boy, no older then fourteen, understood more about what he'd done, than perhaps even Remus did. He'd become a sire to another, he'd passed on his curse and felt her in him, forever. He hurt himself, most likely in the midst of returning back to human form, to get her out, to relieve himself of his crime.

"Lyall…" Remus leaned over and rested his hand on his shoulder. "Lyall, I forgive you, forgive yourself."

Lyall's head shot up to look at Remus. "What?" His voice asked, scratchy and drained.

"Forgive yourself."

A sharp anger shot through his icy eyes. "Could you?" The blue eyes were clouded with shaken fury.

Remus averted his own gold eyes, "no…"

Lyall stared at him for a moment and then jerked away from him. "Get out." His voice was harder and colder than Remus had heard it all night; and he understood, with a sigh he walked away with tarry a look back. As the door shut behind him he heard a thud of skin against—he guessed—wall.

Slowly he walked back to Tonks' room; Arthur and Kingsley were outside the door. When they saw him, Kingsley began to stand up and Arthur walked towards him. Remus waved at them both and walked into her room without a word; he had a wife to comfort; with a new compassion in his heart.

* * *

I hope you enjoyed this, Lyall Woolfe, as he is named will be in other stories of mine, as after I created him he became a constant meddler of my thoughts. I love him as if he was real, and I won't ignore him, so expect more about him and what the two of them go through because of the development, later.

Please don't forget to comment!


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